


When they all knew

by Theamazingarmadillo



Series: just seems right [4]
Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:29:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29400564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theamazingarmadillo/pseuds/Theamazingarmadillo
Summary: It's hard to keep a secret when everyone already knows
Relationships: Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Series: just seems right [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151492
Comments: 14
Kudos: 17





	When they all knew

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoy this one just as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The hospital hadn't been that busy in the past few days so the residents and their attendings all got some time to work on paperwork and only had to stop for the odd surgery or ER emergency. 

Claire was thankful for the quietness, it wasn't exactly easy growing another human in your stomach as well as having to pay constant attention to everything around you. The loud noises and harsh lights didn't help with her head and the smell of chemicals used all around the hospital made her want to be sick. 

The only distractions to her day had been when someone would step into the residents lounge to talk to her about one of their patients or to go through to ask Neil something, he had been on conference calls for the past two hours and she could tell that he was getting stressed.

To someone who didnt know him that well, it would just seem like he was sick of the call. But the constant bouncing of his leg under the desk and the fidgeting of his pen told her anything, it would be that he was probably overthinking something. 

She wanted to ask him if everything was okay or to just give him some decaf tea to calm his nerves. But she knew that if another person opened the door to his office he would end up throwing the pen at them. It didn’t matter that she was his girlfriend, he wouldn't even look up before punting the thing. He almost threw it at the last person but he had realised that it was Lim. Claire thinks that was the only thing that was stopping him from doing so. 

She forgot all about him in a second when Alex entered the room, holding his lunch that had such a strong smell that Claire had to force herself to breath through her mouth or she would be sick. She tried to focus on the scans that were in her hand and writing notes in her notebook about what she found as he walked past her, looking into Neil’s office and bringing his hand up to the knock on the door. 

Even though Claire wanted the smell to be gone, she didn't want to see her boyfriend be fired and sent to jail for putting a pen through Park’s head. She decided to stop him before he knocked. 

“I wouldn’t do that if i were you” she had to let go of her breath to speak and she immediately regretted it. 

Alex turned to her with a questioning look “is everything okay?” he asked

She took a few short breaths, trying to keep the temptation to heave before answering, “yeah, I just don’t think he would like it if someone interrupted him”. She continued to breath through her mouth, turning her gaze back down to the scans in hand. 

Neil must have heard them talking from his office because when Alex turned back to the door to see if he was okay, he quickly left the room, lunch and all, after what Claire could only describe as a death glare. 

Claire took a deep breath of relief as the stench of egg left the room. She looked up to see Neill looking through the window of his office, out over the road of the entrance to the hospital. She didn't know if he was still in a meeting or not so she decided to not go in to check if he was okay but wait until he came out to her. 

……

It was about an hour later and Claire had finished her scans and was going over some release documents for patients that were clear when Neil finally left his office. He opened the door but didn't say anything as he walked around the coffee table to where she sat on the couch, sitting down on the floor between her legs. 

Claire put the pieces of paper down on the couch next to her and started massaging his shoulder, feeling him relax and lean back into the touch. She knew something was bothering him but she waited for him to speak first, moving her hands to massage his neck. 

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke. 

“They know” 

Claire furrowed her eyebrows but kept on going, encouringhim to continue. 

He seemed to get the message and said, “Shaun asked me if i was excited to be a dad”. 

This is when Claire stopped. They hadn't told anyone, they decided they were going to wait another week as she wasn't even showing yet. 

“How did he know?” she asked. 

Neil shrugged, “I asked him but he just said ‘everyone knows, it's quite obvious’ and kept walking”. 

She was trying to think of what could have made them pick up on it. She supposed it might have been that she wasn't around patients for as long as she used to be or the slowness that she had picked up on in the last few days. It could have just been Shaun that found out and then brought it to the others attention. She didn't mind that the others knew but she was curious about how they found out. 

“I think it was me,” Neil said quietly. 

Claire stood up and walked around the table and sat down in front of him taking his hand and drawing lines in his palm. 

“What are you talking about?” she asked. 

“Well, I was so happy when you told me. They may have picked up on that or maybe the fact that I have been so stressed about it so far. Maybe I said something I wasn't meant to. I just don't know, how else could they have found out?”

Claire looked up at him and she could see the concern in his eyes. She smiled and reached out to cup the side of his face. She knew that it wasn't him, and even if it was she felt so bad that he had been keeping it in all day and beating himself up over it that she really didn't care. 

“Hey,” she said to him softly, “it's not your fault. Don't beat yourself up over it, it's not the end of the world. So what? They know, that's great! I can finally tell them to go away if need be or get sick in the bin and you can dance around your office, not like you would” he rolled his eyes at her as she continued. “But we don't have to hide it anymore, that's a good thing.” 

She could see him smile and he nodded. 

“Yeah, your right. I still want to know how they found out though, we kept it so well under wraps”. 

“Well let's go find out”. She stood up, helping him stand and they left the room together. 

…….

They walked down the hallways. Claire could see that Neil got his composure back, he was walking down the wards with such confidence in his cocky self that it made her chuckle at how fast his mood could change. 

They spotted Audrey standing at the Nurse’s station and Claire let Neil take the lead. He walked up to her and leaned against the desk. 

Audrey turned around to him and smiled. 

“Just who i was looking for!” she exclaimed. She handed him a file and he started to flip through it, pretending to go through it. 

He stayed in silence for a few seconds before asking, “how did you know?”

Audrey looked at him questionly but he could see the flicker on nervousness behind her well trained eyes. 

She looked around, “Know what?” 

Neil put the file down, “oh i don't know…. Maybe that Claire was pregnant?”

She looked at him in fake surprise, but she could tell that he could see right through her after working so long with her. 

She sighed, “Yeah, you caught me. Word was going around the OR about a week ago. But to be honest it was kind of obvious.” 

Claire lifted her head and turned from where she was talking to one of the nurses, she put her hand on Neil’s lower back and queried an eyebrow at Lim.

Audrey shuffled on her feet and brought her hand up to rub the back of her neck. 

“Well..” she started, hesitant. She really didn't want to be having this conversation. “I mean, at first it was that Claire was obviously trying not to be sick all the time there was a strong smell. And then you started to hold your breath when we were around. It's also pretty obvious when you get migraines or nausea because you rub your eyes and get slower in your movements”. 

She stopped looking directly at Claire and looked in between, not meeting either of their eyes. “No one really would have put that down to a pregnancy though. Well, not until Shaun pointed it out that it was a possibility and it all kind of fell into place”. 

Neil was really grateful to have Shaun on his team, even if he was harsh on him at first or if he didn't show it. He was a great sugine, but God, sometimes he was too smart for his own good. 

Audery looked like she wanted to say something more as she rocked on her feet. Neil narrowed his eyes at her, knowing all of her ques. She nodded her head and picked up the file to leave, but Neil wouldn't let her go so fast. 

“What is it?” he asked as she turned to leave. 

He saw her shoulders sink for a second before straightening them and turning around to the two still standing at the nurses desk. 

“It was also pretty obvious when you left that ‘first time parent guide’ on your desk” she quickly, looking at the ground. 

Neil let out a sigh and tilted his head back as he remembered the book that was out in the open on his desk. 

He couldn't deny it and they were about to tell them in the next few days anyway, so he took Claire’s words and decided to embrace it. 

He tilted his head back down and gave Audrey the biggest, ear to ear grin. 

“I'm so glad you know. I genuinely didn't think I could keep it in any longer” he said. 

Audrey’s face seemed to relax and she met his facial expression. “I'm so happy for you guys! Ugh, I was waiting for you to tell us”. She went and embraced Neil and then turned to Claire, who was looking out on the encounter, and gave her the same big hug. 

“How far in are you?” she asked Claire. 

“Eleven weeks, we were planning on telling everyone next week”. 

Lim let go of her embrace. “So you you will find out the sex in a few weeks?”

Claire shook her head, “I think we want to wait until the baby is born. For a surprise, you know?” she turned to Neil and he nodded his head in a response. 

“I think a surprise would be pretty cool. Have you told anyone else?”

Neil shook his head, “well, we already know they know. But, no, we haven't talked to anyone about it yet, just you”. 

Claire looked up at Neil, “do you want to do it now?” she asked him. 

He nodded, “sure, I don't see why not.” 

Claire smiled and turned back to Audrey, “would you mind getting everyone into the lounge if they are free?”

“Sure thing!” she said, turning away from them and heading to find the others.

Neil laughed and Claire looked up at him in question. “What?” she asked. 

He turned to her and kissed her forehead. “I just can't believe i left that book on my desk”.

Claire rolled her eyes at him, “and you call yourself the smart one”. 

He just stuck his tongue out at her and dragged her down the hallway to the lounge. 

……..

They were greeted in the lounge by several people. Morgan and Audrey were standing off to one side while Marcus, Shaun and Alex were off to the other, looking at some scans. 

Claire opened the door and all attention went to them, Neil gulped in anticipation but Claire sctully ended up doing all the talking. 

“So, as many of you know, there have been rumors that I am pregnant” she said, cherishing all of their surprised and slightly concerned faces. Shaun looked at the ground and Alex narrowed his eyes at him, obviously aware that he was the one to give it away.   
“Well,” Claire continued, placing a hand on her stomach and Neil stepping forward and putting his hand on her lower back, “you would be correct. We are expecting it in April”.

The room cheered and celebrated them, quietly because they were still in a hospital of course. Morgan and Shaun went to Claire, closely followed by Audrey. Morgan hugged Claire and congratulated her, while Shaun tapped her shoulder and Audrey just nodded. 

Alex pulled Neil into a hug and said, “you are going to make a wonderful dad”. 

Marcus smiled at him and he knew that that smile was only used on really close friends. Neil stuck out his hand for a shake and Andrews took it but Neil pulled him into a hug, laughing at his discomfort. 

They all sat down on the couches and talked about how Claire was doing and if they have any names yet. Claire and Neil sat in the middle of it, holding hands and answering all of their questions. They were so happy that their child would have the full support of every single person there.


End file.
